Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

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Daeron
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Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Daeron »

Hello fellow Tyrants. This is our first installment of a Druchii topic of the week. We'll try to bring a new topic each week, focused on Warhammer Dark Elves, and Age of Sigmar Exiles. The goal is to share views and ideas, to get our creative minds working and the tacticians rumbling.
We kick off with an easy, light hearted wishlist: your themed Dark Elf or Exile battalion.

We've seen a few of these boxes already.
- The Dark Elves have the Dark Elf Warhost, which has been granted a battalion warscroll in Age of Sigmar. It boxed a Fleetmaster, some 16 darkshards, 12 dreadspears, 5 cold one knights, and 20 Corsairs.
- The Wood Elf "Guardians of the Deep Woood" featured Dryads and Treemen. It's been repacked with a Branchwraith for Age of Sigmar and is practically a complete army in AoS.
But they don't have to be discount boxes to count as an example. The one-click army deals offered thematic army deals as well, from the Cult of Khaine deal (40 WE's and a COB), the mono theistic deals for Daemons, and so on and so forth.

The question, or topic the week is: if you could design such an army deal yourself, which one would it be and what models would you offer in this set?
Will it be based on fluff? On a specific city in the world that was or the new world? Will it be a cult? Or will you group models based on a playstyle?
What -realistic- price tag would be on your box?
Would it fit for WFB or AoS, or both? What special rules would you give the box?

Let your creativity and dreaming take shape! And let us know what box would be your ideal set on the shelf.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Amboadine »

I would take advantage to bring back the beloved Cult of Slaanesh.

Perhaps in the shape of a small battalion as follows to get the size and price point to a reasonable level (for a given level of reasonable when considering GW prices).

1 x Annointed (Using the old Chaos champion on boob worm)
1 x Sorceress
12 x Daemonettes
6 x Seeker of Slaanesh (Mounted Daemonettes)
12 x Devoted of Slaanesh (Witch elves)

I think that would give a reasonable starting Cult box suitable for both AoS and 8th, that could be expanded on easily.

Shouldn't be too hard to give the formation some special rule of some sort to tie it all together nicely.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Scythe »

Seems like a relatively easy one to do for AoS would be the corsair slaver/raider theme. It's great fluff-wise, and makes use of some relatively recent models. Not sure if it's ideal for me, necessarily, but I like the models!

1 Black Ark Fleetmaster (could be Lokhir Fellheart, as he has the Black Ark Fleetmaster keyword)
2 units of Black Ark Corsairs
2 units of Shades
1 unit of Reaper Bolt Throwers

Special abilities could synergize with the corsairs' Ravagers and Slavers ability, perhaps by lowering bravery of units within a certain range. The other ability could give the units a bonus rend of -1 in close combat, something which seems to be largely absent in the Exiles army.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Calisson »

Scythe wrote:Seems like a relatively easy one to do for AoS would be the corsair slaver/raider theme. It's great fluff-wise, and makes use of some relatively recent models. Not sure if it's ideal for me, necessarily, but I like the models!

1 Black Ark Fleetmaster (could be Lokhir Fellheart, as he has the Black Ark Fleetmaster keyword)
2 units of Black Ark Corsairs
2 units of Shades
1 unit of Reaper Bolt Throwers

Special abilities could synergize with the corsairs' Ravagers and Slavers ability, perhaps by lowering bravery of units within a certain range. The other ability could give the units a bonus rend of -1 in close combat, something which seems to be largely absent in the Exiles army.
I was also thinking of a corsair party (no wonder!), with some nuances:
Corsair Ambush Party:
1 Black Ark Fleetmaster
3 units of 10 Black Ark Corsairs (so you could make a small unit of RHB + a large unit of AHW, or a very large unit of corsairs and activate their special rule with up to 10 casualties)
1 unit of 5 Shades (let's not make it a shade party!)
2 units of Reaper Bolt Throwers (this is common on DE ships)
1 kharibdyss (for the sea theme :mrgreen: )
1 assassin (they were said to be employed for corsair's training in previous AB)

For the special ability, rend would certainly be useful but I see not how it would fit the theme.
Rather, I would like to get some ambushing capability such as Beastmen's:
Abilities
Corsair Ambush: Endowed with the experience of thousand raids, Corsairs are
adept at encircling the foe and attacking from an unexpected direction. Instead of
setting up the units in a Corsair Ambush Party on the battlefield, you must place
all of them to one side. In your first movement phase you must set up all of these units
wholly within 6" of the edges of the battlefield, and more than 9" from any enemy
models. This is the unit’s move for that movement phase.

That would be all the more useful that we're talking about an all-footlogger party.
Now, if you combined such ambush party with some DR under command of Lokhir, this makes some interesting combo! :twisted:
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Scythe »

Calisson wrote:For the special ability, rend would certainly be useful but I see not how it would fit the theme.


Hmm. Maybe something to represent their effectiveness at catching enemies unawares or distracted?

Abilities
For Glory, Not Honour: Corsair Raiders take whatever advantage they can in close combat, and are adept at cutting down enemies with their backs turned. A Corsair Raider unit entering combat against an enemy who is already engaged in combat with any other unit gains a -1 rend bonus for the duration of that combat phase.

I do like the ambush idea too.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Diobarach »

Sadly before my time but I liked the city guard (it's not too far from the exiled warhost I suppose) list.

Dreadlord on cold one
10 cold one knights
30 city guard (xbows + spears combo, so OP you know it)
2 reaper bolt throwers
10 dark riders
5 shades
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Daeron »

Yeah, I really liked that City Guard theme as well. The formation with spears and RXBs is quite thematic and powerful. Something like it could be simulated in AoS. In WFB I think the unit deserves reintroduction :)

But these are all great suggestions. I'm seeing so many ways to go I have a hard time choosing which box I would call the ideal battalion myself.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Calisson »

Is there a vote at the end of the week?
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Daeron »

I was considering doing that :P
But it's all in good fun. Everyone should feel at liberty to bring their idea forward, even if it risks being less popular.
I love me a bowl of numbers to crunch for breakfast. If you need anything theoryhammered, I gladly take requests.

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"I move unseen. I hide in light and shadow. I move faster than a bird. No plate of armour ever stopped me. I strike recruits and veterans with equal ease. And all shiver at my coldest of whispers."
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Haagrum »

I'll go with a Raiders theme, sans Corsairs. The first-listed model type would be the one required for the formation/battalion rules unless otherwise noted, although both options would be available in the boxed models. The theme borrows heavily from the Dark Eldar and Harlequins concepts for 40K, particularly in relation to the special rules.

Exiled Carnival of Slaughter

1 Sorceress on foot

5 Dark Riders/Doomfire Warlocks

20 Bleakswords/Darkshards/Dreadspears (1 unit of any for the battalion rules)

1 Scourgerunner Chariot/Cold One Chariot

10 Sisters of Slaughter/Witch Elves

Battalion special rules

Your Anguish Sustains Us: If a unit from the Carnival of Slaughter causes the last model from an enemy unit to be removed as a casualty, that Carnival of Slaughter unit does not have to take battleshock tests until your next hero phase.

War Elevated To Art: During any Combat phase, units belonging to the Carnival of Slaughter may add 1 to their saving throws if they have not already piled in during that Combat phase. Sisters of Slaughter units may instead re-roll their saving throws if they have not already piled in during that Combat phase.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Daeron »

Those are very interesting mechanics. It would be interesting for MSU, for example. A very nice idea. I really like.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Lord hajjij »

Beast master's Menagerie

Dreadlord on Black Dragon or Dreadlord on Cold One
1 Unit of Beastmaster on Manticore or Scourgerunner Chariots
1 Unit of Dark Riders or Harpies
2 Units in any combination of War Hydra, Kharibdyss, Bloodwrack Medusa, or Bloodwrack Shrine
1 Unit of Cold One Knights or Cold One Chariots


War Horn of the Iron Mountains - Once per battle, the Dreadlord can blow the War Horn in your hero phase. If he does, all units in this battalion within 24" of him can add 1 to their charge, hit, and wound rolls, and 1 to their damage until your next hero phase. In addition, all enemy units suffer -1 to Bravery when within 8" of the Dreadlord for the rest of the battle after he blows the horn.

Insane Training - The High Beastmaster in the Scourgerunner Chariot gains the "Spiteful Dominance" ability from the Beastmaster on Manticore's warscroll. In addition, for both of those units, the Spiteful Dominance ability also adds D3 to the number of attacks for each of the target's weapons in the combat phase. (roll once per combat)
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Calisson »

The abilities seem a bit too powerful.
Lord hajjij wrote:Dreadlord on Black Dragon or Dreadlord on Cold One
1 Unit of Beastmaster on Manticore or Scourgerunner Chariots
1 Unit of Dark Riders or Harpies
2 Units in any combination of War Hydra, Kharibdyss, Bloodwrack Medusa, or Bloodwrack Shrine
1 Unit of Cold One Knights or Cold One Chariots

If this was to be used for WH8th, then it would be a battalion box, i.e. a preset selection of models. It seems not very practical to have in a box a random choice with either dragonlord or a CO-lord, etc...

If this was to be used for AoS as a theme warscroll with no associated battalion box, then it would be great, except that harpies are no longer tamed by Exile Aelves, they belong exclusively to chaos.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Scythe »

Lord hajjij wrote:Beast master's Menagerie

Dreadlord on Black Dragon or Dreadlord on Cold One
1 Unit of Beastmaster on Manticore or Scourgerunner Chariots
1 Unit of Dark Riders or Harpies
2 Units in any combination of War Hydra, Kharibdyss, Bloodwrack Medusa, or Bloodwrack Shrine
1 Unit of Cold One Knights or Cold One Chariots


If as Calisson suggests instead we were to look at models to be included in a battalion box, I think a monster theme could work with a few changes. I would drop the dragon in favour of the manticore as he's already potentially included in the Exiled Warhost (and there seems to be only 1 character in these sorts of things anyway). Going by the typical size of these things I would make it smaller in general, too.

Exiled Beast Coven

1 Beastmaster on Manticore
2 War Hydras or Kharibdyss (kharibdysses? kharibdi?), in any combination
2 Units of Scourgerunner Chariots or Cold One Chariots, in any combination

Special Rules

Fierce Resilience: Models in an Exiled Beast Coven represent the toughest monsters and handlers of an already hardened Exile force, and can re-roll all failed armour saves of 1. In the shooting phase, the Beastmaster on Manticore can re-roll all failed armour saves (normally he re-rolls 1s due to SDC).

Monstrous Feeding Frenzy: When 2 or more models in an Exiled Beast Coven are engaged in close combat with the same enemy unit, any Exiled Beast Coven models with the Monster keyword add 1 to their attacks' damage score when rolling 5 or 6 to wound.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Calisson »

This becomes inspiring.
I start to wonder, D.net did once our own FAQ to the 8th ed AB; we might similarly propose D.net-approved warscrolls, could'nt we?
That would assume some tests games in sufficient numbers, of course.
We would have to wait a bit more for the meta to stabilize.
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Daeron »

That sounds like a lot of fun and AoS does have that open format. But I still think it would be similar to designing a new unit for WFB or a special ability. It's hard to tell if it will be accepted.
But for local groups, it can add variety and make the game more fun for all.

I do think these ideas are very inspiring. Perhaps they could be the core theme of an army? I'll consider them when painting up new models at least ;)
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Daeron »

Thank you all for responding to the topic. I think these were all great ideas, with good potential. I certainly would have a hard time not buying some of these boxes.

It looks like our core troops are still very popular. I think it's not really a surprise: our spears, swords and crossbows are indeed the iconic elements of the disciplined, murderous dark elves. And of course, the monsters couldn't be left out of the party ;)

If I were to add to this list of ideas, I'm tempted to take either an all mounted list, to simulate the old watchtower patrols, or a small coven of magic with perhaps 3 Sorceresses, a Bloodwrack Shrine and a retinue of dreadspears as their bodyguards. Seeing how badly my coven of magic got beaten in the UB tournament, perhaps I should try their success in the Age of Sigmar!

Perhaps something like this:
- 3 Sorceresses on foot
- A bloodwrack Shrine
- 30 Bleakswords or Dreadspears

Guarded Casting
If there is no enemy within 3" of a Sorceress from this Coven of Magic, and she is within 1" of her bodyguards, then the Sorceress receives +1 to all her cast rolls.

The protection of the coven
While the Sorceresses are within 1" of the bloodwrack shrine, they can add +1 to all their dispell attempts.
I love me a bowl of numbers to crunch for breakfast. If you need anything theoryhammered, I gladly take requests.

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"I move unseen. I hide in light and shadow. I move faster than a bird. No plate of armour ever stopped me. I strike recruits and veterans with equal ease. And all shiver at my coldest of whispers."
- The stiff breeze
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Re: Dnet's Topic of the Week - Your ideal Battalion!

Post by Mordrin Spiteblade »

Sorry this is a bit late!

The Hackseer Expedition

1 x Dreadlord on Cold One
1 x Cold One Knights unit
1 x Unit Bleakswords
1 x Unit Cosairs
1 x Unit SoS

The Young Highborn has been dispatched to prove his mettle as a worthy member of the city elite or die in the attempt. He has been given a bodyguard of his fathers household knights as well as recruiting arrogant volunteer swordsmen form the city guard, a savage band of mercenary pirates and bored Gladiatrixes from the city's fighting pits. All of these misbegotten curs are keen to chase glory and plunder.

Special Rules

Impetuous savagery: If any Unit from this formation charge the enemy they can pile in an extra inch and re-roll attack rolls of 1. (This includes the quicksilver strikes of the bleakswords)

Weight of Expectation As long as the dreadlord is alive all units add 1 to their bravery if they are in combat or within 3" of the enemy. This is cumulative with any other bravery bonus derived from the banner and proximity to exile heroes combination.
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